That may very well be true (TSN's Darren Dreger believes as much). But after the young forward did little this week to extinguish reignited trade chatter inspired by his agent Igor Larionov, this particular state of affairs may only become more disruptive. If so, and if pushed, MacTavish & Co. may end up cutting ties with the talented youngster after all. You know, when the right, too-good-to-refuse, offer comes along. It wouldn't be the first time a team does a quick about-face on the trade front after pledging to keep a firm grasp on a certain player.

So, wading into more speculative waters, where could Yakupov conceivably land? Talk of a potential deal involving the New York Rangers has echoed the loudest to date. Considering the Oilers' desire for a skilled, power forward and an upgrade on defense, you can imagine Chris Kreider and Michael Del Zotto tick a lot of boxes. And there's little chance that Ales Hemsky alone can land the Edmonton club either Kreider or Del Zotto in return.

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RUMOR CENTRAL

Rumor Central represents regular tips and analysis from ESPN sources plus numerous credible external sources from every form of media. We will speculate intelligently and consider future possibilities on open-ended topics. If something looks speculative, it was intended to be.